I was completely captivated by the first book, and the second installment is just as phenomenal. The atmosphere is immersive, and the dynamic tension between the protagonists is perfectly executed. After devouring The Hurricane Wars, this sequel quickly became one of my most anticipated releases of 2024—and it absolutely lived up to the hype! A must-read for all fantasy enthusiasts, especially fans of The Hurricane Wars.

Thea's writing remains just one of her incredible strengths, with world-building and angst next to it.
A Monsoon Rising is a perfect sequel to its predecessor and I could not have been more invested in this story,

The world is incredibly rich and lush, and the plot kept me enraptured the entire time. The pacing was a little lacking at some points but once I hit 50%, i could not put it down.

This series remains one of my all-time favourite's and Tala and Alaric are easily one of my favourite couples. The rats won.

Thea Guanzon’s A Monsoon Rising is a lush continuation of Thea Guanzon’s epic tale of love, war, and magic. Building on the foundation of its predecessor, this instalment deepens the stakes, explores new emotional terrain, and further cements Guanzon’s ability to weave intricate political intrigue with heart-pounding romance.

Picking up where The Hurricane Wars left off, The Monsoon Rising reunites readers with Talasyn and Alaric - two characters whose fates remain entwined by magic, power, and undeniable tension. While they’re supposedly enjoying a state of matrimonial bliss, with Talasyn acting the part of Alaric’s willing empress, each character holds interests and ideas that are in opposition to the other’s, which cleverly increases the tension between the two characters.

At the heart of The Monsoon Rising is its emotionally charged romance and character-driven storytelling. The relationship between Talasyn and Alaric continues to shine - volatile, fraught, yet irresistibly magnetic. Guanzon explores their dynamic with nuance, delivering the angst and tension readers crave while allowing both characters to evolve individually.

The world-building remains one of Guanzon’s greatest strengths. From lush, storm-ravaged landscapes to the intricacies of warring factions, the setting feels alive, textured, and immersive. The vivid descriptions allow readers to lose themselves in a world shaped by magic and monsoons, where danger is never far behind. Fans of The Hurricane Wars will appreciate how the stakes have been raised, with larger conflicts and new alliances testing the characters at every turn.

That said, The Monsoon Rising isn’t without its flaws. The pacing stumbles in places, and it doesn’t really pick up until about halfway through the novel, so unless you’re completely invested in the romantic relationship rather than the plot, the first half of the book can feel rather slow. This greater focus on the romantic relationship is great if that’s what drew you to the first book, but if you were hoping for more political intrigue and action, as I was, then it can be a bit slow-going until the plot picks up once more later in the book.

Nevertheless, Guanzon’s prose remains fluid and lyrical, weaving action, romance, and introspection seamlessly. The emotionally charged climax and hints at what’s to come ensure readers will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

For fans of epic fantasy with strong romantic subplots, The Monsoon Rising delivers an enthralling continuation of the series. It builds on the foundation of its predecessor while offering deeper character development, heightened stakes, and a world that feels as tempestuous and alive as ever. If you enjoyed The Hurricane Wars, you’ll find much to love here.

Absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed this just as much as the first book. The tension between Alaric and Talasyn was so much fun to read and I love where this world and the wider plot are heading. That ending has left me desperate to read the next instalment though!

I really enjoyed the way the relationship between the two main characters developed. I thought the spicy scenes were pretty cool, but I felt the plot was a little too short. I would have liked to see more build-up to the end of the world, which was resolved in two pages in a quick and uninteresting way.
I thought the ending was very interesting.

Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperVoyager and NetGallery for the ARC.

I requested this ARC, hoping to read after 'The Hurricane Wars,' but I didn't quite enjoy the first book. Please don't be discouraged by my review. I'm sure this book will be an excellent read for someone else. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the advance copy to read.

I was so excited to go back to the world of Alaric and Talasyn. I am not sure how it is possible but I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first in the series.

It was great being back in their world and getting to see the characters again and how they developed within this part of the story.

The slow burn was addictive, and I found myself glued to the page, desperate for more. THAT ending! i need book 3 asap plssss and thnx xxx

As a romantasy girlie first and foremost, I, for one, love this book. Thea Guanzon is so talented at writing a romance full of yearning and bickering (my favourite), and utilises all of the microtropes that easily has a reader swooning. Talasyn and Alaric had me wanting to rip my hair out and shout at the page JUST KISS ALREADY - which honestly reflected their own thoughts 9 times out of 10, so seems about right.

This is an intense second instalment that had me frantically turning the pages and now left BEREFT until book three’s release…which I seem to recall happened with book one too. Maybe I’m destined to just live in alarm while reading Thea’s books. I can’t even be mad about it.

Yes I really enjoyed this book way more than book 1. I thought that the concentration on the two characters and the slow burn was brilliant. So interesting how they are still enemies but growing to love each other. I’m really interested to see where the story goes next.

The politics against the romance here really did have me on the edge of my seat.

Absolutely yes! This was worth every moment of wait! Thank you so much! This was once again, one of my fave books this year! Wonderful job!

I requested this because i didnt love the first book enough to buy it but wanted to know if anything would get better in the sequel.
Unfortunately, it didnt but then like….kinda did!?
Walk with me friends. Lets see where this goes.

So firstly, i had and continue to have no real grasp on what is happening or why. I never knew what the Hurricane Wars were or why? I dont know why Talasyn has lightpowers or why Alaric has shadow powers other than, its just something they can both do. I get that they need to use their powers together to stop some kind of cataclysmic blight but the urgency of this was lost on me because we spent so much time going back and forth with the couple to their respective countries and not really doing anything but eventually have sex.

Now, the romance/smut got so much better in this which ill get to but it was also irritating as well. In book 1 where they kept fighting their attraction, they still kept doing it even after they’d banged. Why!? Why are you fighting this!? Cause you both have to betray each other? Im not sure that matters anymore dude when youre balls deep in her and marking her with your man juice. For things so graphic it was extremely childish for them to keep acting like they werent in love.

Now, where it gets confusing is that both Talasyn and Alaric were virgins so even tho theyre in their 20s, neither of them have any experience or game. This is where it gets good because their couplings were so cute and funny and realistic. That was the pull here. Whenever they were actually honest with each other in intimate moments (not all sexual) i was sooooo invested. The tortured stoic young grump falling for the colourful, outlandish and quick witted sunshine. I was here for it but it kept getting put aside for like, the plot or whatever 😩🤣

My point is that all i cared about was Alaric being saved from his abusive father and he and Talasyn working out how to be together. Everything else was dry filler. The odd dragons, the unclear worlds and its inhabitants, the war, the rebels, i cared about none of it and near the end, found myself skimming through just to find the bits that interested me. A drunken scene between Alaric and his father in law was hilarious and if it had been more like that i might have liked it more.

Theres nothing wrong with this book per se, for me the romance was lost within a sea of over description, dialogue and characters that weren’t all needed in order to push the story she wanted to tell. This book was largely filler as book 2s are prone to be, but it didn’t have to be. The smut was great but things could’ve been wrapped up sooner without all the parties and other nonsense.

Sigh.

I really was expecting enemies-to-lovers vibes in this one, but instead it just felt like lovers-with-huge-communication-issues. And I hate miscommunication. I hate forced tension,

I did not enjoy this one bit unfortunately and I think this is officially me dropping the series. Thea Guanzon has a way of dumping a bunch of information all at once, but not knowing what to do with it. She did this for the first 30% of Hurricane Wars and it is definitely worst in this one.

I just really did not gel with this book, but think it's a me issue.

I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

.Maybe my own high expectations set this up to fail? I own numerous copies of THW and it’s one of my all-time top fantasy books, so A Monsoon Rising was my most anticipated release of 2024. But this was not nearly on the same calibre as THW.

Everything I loved in the first book; the action, the politicking, the fight scenes, the backstabbing, the unique world that Guanzon had created, was barely perceptible in this through all the whining, the “will-they-won’t-they” overly drawn out debate and the fact nothing happens and we barely get any time seeing them with other characters apart from themselves. When they aren’t together, we’re given monthly time jumps and then all of a sudden they’re back together. It would have been nice to see them in their own countries, without each other, plotting or at least showing us how they’d reign.

The first 0-50% of this book, nothing happens. Literally nothing.
From 50-100% the only thing that happens is they have sex, a lot. I think the fact this book focuses solely on Talasyn and Alaric’s relationship is quite predictably setting up book three for some alliance changes. I did like the romance and this book has cemented by my love of our number one shaddow daddy Alaric. A Monsoon Rising’s strongest aspect was the development of Alaric’s character - in so far as that it felt like his book and the central focus was on his past, motivations, and development of feelings. This is something I highly appreciate as he was a dark enigma in THW. The chemistry in this book was also on point with all the verbal sparring and heated exchanges.

What was set up to be a high-action, high-fantasy series is now a romantasy with very little plot driving the narrative forward. I didn’t hate it, I read it all quickly, but I didn’t love it. A lot of the middle part was very slow and stagnant and the ending wasn’t really THAT shocking. But again, maybe I just had such high expectations for this, it was always going to struggle to live up to them.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVoyager for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

You all know about my undying love for Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon. It completely stole my heart last year when I read it for the very first time. Even now, I think about it at least once a week and constantly itch to reread it.

Today, A Monsoon Rising - the second book in the trilogy - is out! I was incredibly lucky to get an early copy thanks to NetGalley, and I dove into it straight away. I devoured it. I ate it up! It was every bit as good as the first book, if not better!!

A Monsoon Rising hit all the right notes and was deeply satisfying on every level. It’s a strong follow up that doesn’t suffer from the middle book syndrome and it left me extremely excited for the final installment. Honestly, I’m already thinking about the next book—especially after that cliffhanger at the end!

Thea Guanzon’s writing is absolutely stunning. Her lush descriptions of magic, the world, and even clothing are mesmerising. But what truly stole my heart was her masterful portrayal of characters. The banter, the tension, and the yearning (all my favorite things!) were chef’s-kiss perfection.

This book is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven. The action is slower, and while I sometimes wished for more political and court drama, I was just as content to spend time with my favourite Idiots in love - Tala and Alaric. Their chemistry is absolutely unparalleled!

I have to say, the ending took me by complete surprise. I didn’t see it coming at all! Throughout the book, I was so sure (and so nervous) that I knew where the story was headed. Then, bam—the unexpected hit me! My NetGalley ebook was formatted in a way that I didn’t even realize I was reading the last sentence. I gasped—maybe even screamed—and nearly threw my Kindle across the room.

A Monsoon Rising has just been released, but I already can’t wait for the next book! Please, don’t make us wait too long.

I truly adore my two idiots, and I hope you’ll give them a chance too. You won’t be disappointed! If you’re a fan of relationship-driven fantasy with beautiful world-building, unique magic, excellent tension, and capital-B Banter (with absolutely no eye-rolls), this book is for you.

It’s the kind of story you’ll devour in one sitting because you won’t be able to put it down—utterly satisfying, and dare I say, very sexy!

I really expected to love this series to the moon and back. I therefore didn't hesitate when the second book was on Netgalley to request it, even though I still had to read the first book. Unfortunately the first book wasn't as amazing as I had hoped it would be. Maybe I wasn't the right reader. However, Harpervoyager already granted my request and I wanted to give the second book a chance. Maybe the second book would grab me.

I'm afraid to say it did not. Don't get me wrong. I don't think this is a bad book. The book is well written, the characters are layered, complicated and in a strange way, despite their flaws and sometimes horrible ways of looking at the world, even relatable. The tension and chemistry between them is also really amazing and in a way I'm insanely curious if and how they're gonna get their happily ever after.

However, there are also quite a few aspects I don't like. The plot is one of those. It feels like the plot is dragged out constantly. I'm not entirely sure what the plot is anymore. It feels like the author has tried to come up with a lot of romantic moments for our leads and as many moments making them doubt each other, hate each other and fight each other. There is also a lot of political threatening, but it takes a long while before someone finally acts on it.

I'm also still not entirely sold on the world building. The line between magic and science is incredibly thin in this book and it's hard to keep apart what's what. Even the characters sometimes don't seem to know which is which. I still think there is too much science fiction for it to be really fantasy and too much magic for it to be really science fiction. The world therefore doesn't feel solid or well thought out. It sometimes feels like things are simply there, because the author liked them.

No matter how curious I am about that happily ever after, I think this is the finish for this series for me. I'm clearly not the right reader to love this. That's okay. I'm sure there are many readers who do!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was such a fun ride.
But why finish with that cliffhanger WHYYYYY????

Holy crap, that was a wild ride!

I loved The Hurricane Wars, but A Monsoon Rising just swept we away. A true enemies-to-lovers, Talasyn and Alaric are toxic and destructive, constantly running towards betrayal despite their growing feelings for each other. The push and pull of their emotions makes for compelling reading.

The manipulation of them by the courts and communities surrounding them was magnificent. I genuinely have no idea who is trustworthy and who is going to stab them in the back. The final scenes of the book utterly shocked me with a cliffhanger I didn't see coming! How long must I wait for book 3?! Too long!

A bittersweet and gripping sequel to the amazing Hurricane Wars, this book continues after Alaric and Talasyn's parting. Both plot (reluctantly) against the other and fight their growing ill-fated attraction.

The prose-like nature of the writing once again drew me in, and I loved the fantastic characterisation and world-building the first time. Guanzon possesses such talent for detail and description, and my goodness, that ending! It came on so quickly and yet not, was shocking and yet not, and had me clicking back and forth on my Kindle, desperate for more.

Concern battled for satisfaction when the slow burn matured into an inferno, and I absolutely cannot wait for more and am immenseley grateful for the chance to read this ARC version.

And don't even get me started on that beautiful cover - the icing on a delicious, moreish cake.

I have to apologize profusely but I did not enjoy this one as much as the first one. I really wish I did. I would honestly still recommend this one to some people cuz I know their tastes.